Sainsbury’s was the only Big Four grocer to increase its market share in the
run-up to Christmas.

Sales at Britain’s third-biggest food retailer rose by 3.4 per cent in the 12
weeks to December 23, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Sainsbury’s publishes
its trading update today.

Tesco’s claim to be slowly returning to form will be given some credence by
its reporting of a better rate of growth than Asda, by far the top performer
among the four giants for much of 2011 and 2012. However, its 2.9 per cent
rise in sales did not stop its market share dipping by